8 Pa.C.S. Ch. 15

in effect

8 Pa.C.S. § 1501 Exercise of eminent domain.

A borough may enter upon, appropriate, injure or destroy private lands, property or material, or lands previously granted or dedicated to public use that are no longer used for the purpose for which the lands were granted, according to the proceedings set forth in 26 Pa.C.S. (relating to eminent domain), for any of the following purposes: (1) The laying out, opening, widening, extending, vacating, grading or changing the grades or lines of streets. (2) The construction of bridges and the piers and abutments for bridges. (3) The construction of slopes, embankments and sewers. (4) The erection and extension of water systems, wharves and docks, public buildings, public auditoriums, memorials, monuments, public works, filtration plants, sewerage systems, sewage treatment works, refuse disposal or incineration plants, sanitary landfills, gas plants, electric plants and libraries. (5) The establishing of parks, playgrounds and recreation places and the changing of watercourses. (6) For all other purposes authorized by this part.

8 Pa.C.S. § 1502 Restrictions as to certain property.

(a) Historically significant property.--In addition to a restriction made by another provision of this part in a particular case, no borough may exercise the right of eminent domain against: (1) land now occupied by a building that was used during the Colonial or Revolutionary period as a place of assembly by the Council of the Colony of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the Congress of the United States; (2) the land occupied by a fort, redoubt or blockhouse erected during the Colonial or Revolutionary period or a building used as headquarters by the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army; or (3) the site of a building, fort, redoubt, blockhouse, or headquarters that is preserved for its historic associations and not for private profit. (a.1) Colonial or Revolutionary period.--For the purposes of subsection (a), the Colonial and Revolutionary period terminates on September 3, 1783. (b) Prohibition.--No land or property used for a cemetery, burying ground or place of public worship may be taken or appropriated by virtue of a power contained in this chapter.

8 Pa.C.S. § 1502.1 Declaration of intention.

A borough shall declare its intention to acquire, enter upon, take, use and appropriate any private property or land for any of the purposes authorized by this chapter through a duly enacted ordinance.

8 Pa.C.S. § 1503 Application of 26 Pa.C.S.

Eminent domain proceedings must conform to the provisions of 26 Pa.C.S. (relating to eminent domain), including, but not limited to, payment of damages and costs.

8 Pa.C.S. § 1561 Right to damages given in certain cases.

The right to damages against a borough is given to an owner or tenant of land, property or material, abutting on or through which pass streets, injured by the vacating of the streets or the vacation of bridges and piers, abutments and approaches.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=HTM&ttl=08Fetched: 10/16/2026